Supporting bracket



Oct. 31, 1950 o. VALSEK SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed Feb. 26, 1948 vpended weight. have provision for receiving fastening screws vif a the mounting member or externally thereof.

Patented Oct. 31, l1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUEPORTING BRACKET takar Valasek, Chicago, Ill.k

Application February 26, '1948, Serial No. 11,037:

8 Claims. `1 This invention relates "to supporting brackets. The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved supporting bracket for supporting articles outwardly from a vertical surface wherein the supporting bracket is readily secured to the vertical surface, wherein it is securely held in piace thereon, and wherein it may be readily removed therefrom. The supporting rbracket of this invention is capable of innumerable uses, but it is particularly useful in connectionwith towel racks, tie racks, drying racks, coat racks and the like.

In accordance with this invention the supporting bracket preferably includes a horizontally extending core for supporting the articles outwardly from the vertical surface, a mounting member carried by the core for securing the core to the verticalsurface, and a depending arm carried by the core for reacting on the vertical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the'mounting member. This leverage Aaction afforded by the depending arm reacting on the vertical surface substantially eliminates shearing or sliding and twisting reactions in the mounting member where it is secured to the vertical surface and resolves substantially all of the force caused by the weight of the supported articles into substantially a single horizontal pulling force. As a result the supporting bracket is more securely mounted on the vertical surface than if the depending arm were omitted. a

This is particularly true when the supporting memberis of the type having a surface adapted to be adhesivelysecured tothe vertical surface or of the suction cup type wherein it is held in place on the vertical surface by suction. It is found that the adhesive mounting and the suction mounting are considerably stronger in tension resulting from horizontal pull than in shear or sliding or twist resulting from outwardly sus- The mounting'member may also strictly permanent installation is desiredand the arrangement is such that such provision will'in no way affect the operation of the mounting member when semi-permanent or removable installation by adhesive or suction-is desired;

The depending arm may be formed integrally with the core member and may be located within The Acore member, if desired, may pivotally carry a supporting member for the articles and in that event the depending arm may be carried by the supporting ln'iernber or by the core-member.

Otherobjects'and advantages will becomes apl parent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, Vclaims and drawing in which:

Figure 1 is ajperspective view showing the supporting bracket secured to a Vertical surface;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through one form of the invention showing the supporting bracket about to be secured to the vertical surface;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing the supporting bracket secured to the vertical surface by suction or adhesive;

Figure l is a sectionalA view similar to Figure 3, but showing the supporting bracket secured to the vertical surface by fastening screws; l

Figure 5 is a, sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing another form of the invention,

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figures 2 and 5, but showing still 'another form of the invention. v

Referring first to Figure 1, Lthe supporting bracket of this invention `'is generally designated at 9 and is shown to be secured to a vertical surface lil. The supporting Vbracket includes a core IIy and a mounting member I2 carried by the core for mounting the supporting bracket on the vertical surface. The core Il carries a supporting Vmember' I3 and as shown in Figure 1 for illustration purposes, the supporting member comprises a towel rack. Also, as shown in Figure 1 the supporting' member i-3-'is pivotally'carried by the core II so that it may assume an extended horizontal position as indicated inl solid lines or a retracted vertical position as indicated in-dotted lines. A

Referring Vnow toFigures 2 vand 3, the core II is provided at its inner end with a flange I4 over which is formed the mounting member I2. The mounting member I2 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 is of the suction cup type and is made of rubber or like material. The rubber suction cup I2 is molded over the nange I4 of the core II which is preferably made of metal or suitable hard plastic.

The outerend of the core II is bifurcated at I5 for receiving the supporting member I3 between the bifurcated ends. The supporting member I3 is pivotally mounted between the bifurcated ends by a suitable pivot pin I6. The supporting member'l3 is provided with a depending arm Il which is adapted to react with the vertical surface 9 by contacting the same when the Asuction cup I2 issecured to the vertical surface.

gages the vertical surface 9 beneath the suction cup I2, and hence below the core I I. When articles are placed on the supporting member I3, the Weight thereof lpivots the supporting member I3 about the pivot pin I6 and causes the depending arm I'I to forcefully engage the vertical surface 9. The point of engagement of the depending arm Il with the vertical surface provides a fulcrum point about which the supporting bracket tends to rotate, and hence the weight carried by the supporting member reacts to provide a substantially horizontal pull upon the suction cup I2. The lever action provided by the depending arm I'I substantially eliminates the shear or sliding or twisting forces which would be set up in the suction cup I2 if the depending arm Were eliminated. Since the force exerted on the suction cup by the weight of the articles supported by the supporting bracket is substantially a horizontal pull as distinguished from a shearing, sliding or twisting force the suction cup is more securely held in place on the vertical surface.

The supporting member I3 is preferably provided with a lug I8 which is adapted to engage the core II when the supporting member I3 is pivoted to a vertical position, and thus provide a detent means for maintaining the supporting member I 3 in the vertical position.

The supporting member I 3 is maintained in the horizontal position by the depending arm I'I engaging the vertical surface 9.

The flange I4 of the core II is preferably provided with holes 20 and the mounting member I2 is provided with indicators in the form of dimples 2| in alignment with the holes 2D for indicating the positions of such holes. Thus, if it is desired to permanently secure the supporting bracket to the Vertical surface, this may be accomplished by inserting fastening screws 22 Vthrough the dimples '2I and the holes 20 as is thereto by a suitable adhesive applied to the inner surface of the mounting member. Rubber cement or other types of adhesive may be used for this purpose. In the case of adhesively securing the mounting member to the vertical surface, the curvature of the inner surface thereof may be reduced or may even be ilat and, in the latter event it may be desirable to make the mounting member of more rigid material than if the mounting member were of the suction cup type. In order to provide additional capacity for the adhesive material the interior surface of the mounting member I2 may be provided with an annular groove as indicated in Figure 4.

From the foregoing it is seen that there is provided a supporting bracket which may be secured to a vertical surface by suction, adhesive or fastening screws and provision is made whereby any of these securing methods may be interchangeably utilized. For example, the provision of the holes 20 in the flange I4 for receiving the securing screws 22 has no effect whatsoever upon the suction characteristics of the mounting member I2 when suction mounting is desired for these holes are completely encased by the mounting member.

The form ofthe invention illustrated in Figure 5Vis substantially the same as that illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 with the exception that the depending arm I? is formed on the core II rather than on the supporting member I3, The function, however, of the depending arm Il is exactly the same in both cases.

In order to maintain the supporting member I3 in a horizontal position the inner end thereof is provided with an abutment 26 to engage an abutment 25 formed on the core I-I. When the supporting member I 3 is pivoted to the vertical position the lug I 8 cooperates with the abutment 25 to form a detent means for maintaining the same in a vertical position.

'Ihe form of the invention illustrated in Figure 6 is the same as that in Figure 5 with the exception that the depending arm I'I formed on the core Il is wholly encased within the mounting member I2. While the depending arm I'I in Figure 6 does not directly contact the vertical surface it nevertheless reacts with the vertical surface below the core Il to obtain substantially the same benecial results which are obtained by the other forms of this invention.

While for purposes of illustration several forms of this invention have been disclosed, other forms may become apparent to those skilled inthe art, and therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A supporting bracket for supporting articles outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core, a supporting member pivotally mounted on the outer end of the core to be extended outwardly from the wall for supporting the articles, an abutment onthe supporting member, a stop on the core engageable with the abutment for holding the member in extended position, a single piece suction cup rigidly secured to the inner end of the core for supporting and securing the core to the vertical surface, and a depending arm carried by the core for reacting on the vereical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the suction cup.

2. A supporting bracket for supporting articles outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core, a supporting member pivotally mounted on the outer end of the core to be extended outwardly from the wall for supporting the articles, an abutment on the supporting member, a stop on the core engageable with the abutment for holding the member in extended position, detent means for holding the member in retracted position adjacent the Vertical surface, a single piece suction cup rigidly secured to the inner end of the core for supporting and securing the core to the vertical surface, and a depending arm carried by the core for reacting on the vertical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the suction cup` 3. A supporting bracket for supporting articles outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core, a supporting member pivotally mounted on the outer end of the core to be swung vertically from a vertical position adjacent the vertical surface to a horizontal position away from the vertical surface, a single piece suction cup rigidly secured to the inner end of the core for supporting and securing the core to the vertical surface, and a depending arm carried by the supporting member for reacting on the vertical surface below the core when the horizontal member is horizontally disposed to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a,

substantially horizontal pull on the suction cup.

4. A supporting bracket for supporting articles outwardly from a vertical surface compris,- ing a horizontally extending core, a supporting m'mberpivotally mounted on the outer end of the core to be swungV vertically from a vertical position adjacent the Verticalsurface to a horizontal position away from the vertical surface, detent means for holding the supporting member in the vertical position, a single piece suction cup rigidly secured to the inner end of the core for supporting and securing the core to the vertical surface, and a depending arm carried by the supporting member for reacting on the vertical surface below the core when the horizontal member is horizontally disposed to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the suction cup.

5. A supporting bracket for supporting articles, outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core for supporting the articles and provided with a flange on its inner end, a mounting member formed over the ange of the core for securing the core to the Vertical surface, holes in the flange of the core for receiving fastening screws extending through the mounting member, indicators on the mounting member indicating the position of the holes in the flange of the core member, and a depending arm carried by the core for reacting on the vertical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the mounting member.

6. A supporting bracket for supporting articles, outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core for supporting the articles and provided with a flange on its inner end, a mounting member formed over the flange of the core for securing the core to the vertical surface, holes in the flange of the core for receiving fastening screws extending through the mounting member, indicators on the mounting member indicating the position of the holes in the flange of the core member, and a depending arm carried by the core and contained within the mounting member for reacting on the vertical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the Weight ofthe Vsupported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the mounting member.

7. A supporting bracket for supporting articles, outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core for supporting the articles and provided with a flange on its inner end, a suction cup formed over the flange of the core for securing the core to thel Vertical surface, kholes in the flange of the core for receiving fastening screws extending through the suction cup, indicators on the suction cup indicating the position of the holes in the flange of the core member, and a depending arm carried by the core forreacting on the vertical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on the suctioncup.

8. A supporting bracket for supporting articles, outwardly from a vertical surface comprising a horizontally extending core for supporting the articles, a mounting member carried by the core and having a surface adapted to be adhesively secured to the vertical surfaces, holes in the flange of the core for receiving fastening screws extending through the mounting member, indicators on the mounting member indicating the position of the holes in the flange of they core member, and a depending arm carried by the core for reacting on the vertical surface below the core to provide a leverage action whereby the weight of the Supported articles produces a substantially horizontal pull on'the mounting member.

OTAKAR VALASEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES vPATENTS 

